Samsung's plea for 'Internet of Things' collaboration

The efforts to create an Internet of Things (IoT) will fail unless electronic firms get more involved, Samsung has warned at an international conference.

The potential of technology advances will go untapped if gadgets and electronics from different companies can’t share information seamlessly, it said.

BK Yoon, Samsung CEO, argued that many of the already existing devices could be connected as part of the IoT and called for more openness in his keynote speech ahead of the annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

"Many people believe the IoT is something in the distant future, it's not," he said. "It's not science fiction any more, its science fact. The age of the IoT has already started."

Yoon was joined in his plea by other senior industry figures. Hosain Rahman, chief executive of wearable firm Jawbone, said: "The concept of an open ecosystem is so, so critical to making the IoT a success.”

The Internet of Things is based around formerly dumb objects such as fridges, alarm systems or thermostats, which can now be controlled remotely. For example, televisions could give you a traffic report as soon as you turn them on and also send the information to the car’s GPS to get you to work.

"The IoT will be a game changer. The opportunities and benefits are huge. We need an open ecosystem so IoT devices work together," added Yoon.

Elmar Frickenstein from car giant BMW talked about the need to marry the “Internet of Cars” with the Internet of Things and showed how it was now possible to summon the BMW i8 by speaking into your Samsung smartwatch. The car would then drive itself to you.

"The Internet of Cars is already here today. In the Internet of Things, the boundaries between home, office and other things are disappearing," he said.

As E&T news reported, the first sites of an IoT network have gone live in ten of the UK’s largest cities in a bid to improve services, reduce costs and protect people.